The path to success is always windy, and anyone who asserts otherwise is lying. Akin to a hurdled start and a steady rise, Parisa Fowles-Pazdro’s path to success has been interesting, challenging, and filled with obstacles that have shaped her into becoming Founder & CEO of maxbone.
Parisa launched maxbone on the principle that “our pets deserve the best as our family members” – an entirely new concept to the pet industry. She believes that Pet products should be no different than what people would eat, use, or wear; thus, she created the company to humanize the entire experience within the pet industry.
Let us unveil Parisa’s transformative efforts of the pet wellness solution they deserve.
Learning & Growing
Growing up in a family of academic parents who sacrificed a lot to ensure a better future for their children inspired Parisa to always aim for the highest. As a young entrepreneur, she made money by getting on the real estate ladder and then experimented with different business ideas before launching maxbone in 2017.
It takes guts to execute an idea, and Parisa has always jumped right in, following her intuition having a good sense of what’s missing in the market. She often says, “Hardship often prepares ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” As fortune favors the brave, being the founder of a rapidly growing startup requires much proactive work, but maxbone accomplished many things reasonably quickly with a clear mission.
Parisa’s journey has been incredible, and she is deeply grateful to her talented team. She expresses, “It doesn’t get easier as you grow since you face different challenges along the way. Resilience brings experience, which enables you to deal with problems differently. With that being said, you have additional resources as you grow, so you can build better teams and obtain new support across all departments.”
Empowering Pets and Pet Owners
maxbone’s mission is to provide modern pet parents with a one-stop-shop where they can shop for all their pet needs all in one place. As the first branded pet label on the market, it has a full-service digital platform for all the dog needs, including freeze-dried food made with superfoods and cozy beds, jackets, and carrier bags.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic showed everyone the importance of health, home, and the family that inhabits it, maxbone already held these values close when developing exceptional products for discerning pet owners.
maxbone has cemented itself as the go-to destination for thoughtful, beautiful pet accessories, supplies, food, and wellness products. Reimagining the pet industry one piece at a time always brings the best to the new generation of pet owners. Epitomized by the launch of MB Eats, maxbone’s meal and supplement line, the level of research, thought, and design Parisa and team put into their products remains unmatched within the nearly $100 billion industry. As the first direct-to-consumer business of its kind with this innovative approach to the way it takes care of pets, maxbone’s dedication to quality remains the brand’s guiding principle.
Distinctive Approach
Despite being a digital-native company, maxbone also recognizes offline experiences’ importance. Its pop-up store strategy engages consumers, creates meaningful connections, and exposes the brand to new and strategic markets. maxbone understands the needs of consumers, and especially in the pet industry, the shopping experience is still very outdated.
maxbone created its retail strategy to appeal to a new generation of shoppers who seek high-quality products and unique experiences. Whether through a pop-up store, brand partnership, or activation, its goal is to keep the customer engaged and excited for the next big thing.
The Technological Assistance
maxbone effectively leverages technology to boost customer satisfaction by automating its customer service department to improve its system. It intends to provide customers with a streamlined and purposeful experience.
Parisa notes, “For us, technology is a key component of building deep relationships with existing customers and also attracting new ones. More importantly, we are a data-driven company that uses analytics to understand what our customers are looking for and design products that suit their needs.”
Compassionate Desire
Parisa wishes that brands would understand that today’s pet owners are taking their love of pets to a whole new level. Pets are family members and not property. As millennials are more likely to prefer having pets than children, creating products that don’t appeal to this new generation is no longer cutting edge. As pet owners browse for food and supplies, they bring the same checklist that they would for their products. Therefore, brands must adapt to this new demand.
Potential Shifts
Parisa states that even though the health and wellness sector is booming, accessory brands are just now recognizing that new pet owners want unique pet supplies. She shares, “Due to the very different shopping patterns of millennials and generation z, brands realized it is necessary to update their offerings to cater to the new masses. maxbone was a pioneer in providing branded pet products with modern designs and a superior shopping experience. Seeing a gap in the industry, we developed our products for the modern pet owner who wasn’t represented in the market.” As a result, maxbone is now considered a trusted resource for consumers looking for quality, design, and practicality.
Over the Horizon
Parisa intends maxbone to become the #1 destination in the pet industry by building a platform to serve pet owners looking for convenience, practicality, and unique designs. She notes, “Even the industry’s major players are just now recognizing the new demand and turning to maxbone for design-driven products and high-quality food and supplements.”
maxbone’s initial years were dedicated to creating a brand that would garner trust and loyalty to increase customer retention. “The brand-building approach was unheard of when we first started, but now it has proven to be successful, with pet owners relying on our business for all their needs,” asserts Parisa. By focusing on brand partnership strategies, broadening maxbone’s health and wellness offerings, and providing an unmatched shopping experience, it hopes to reach as many pets and pet owners as possible with the care they deserve.
Finger to the Bone
Parisa advises budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the business sector to pick the markets that are scalable enough for the long haul. “Businesses that succeed have a simple math formula – demand plus customer acquisition. As soon as you’ve found the right product-market fit, just go for it. Overthinking could result in you losing market share to other competitors,” Parisa concludes.
